Maddie Act 2: The Wicked World
by Hitman47
Summary: With the inspiration from her father Tim, Madeline Brennan continues to wage war on the bad people by fighting crime at night. In Act 2, her relationship with Tim continues to grow, she gets sent to an asylum, experiences a feeling she has never felt before, and has an encounter with Gordon Freeman.
1. The Dagger

**MADDIE ACT 2: THE WICKED WORLD**

 **THE DAGGER**

"Dear father, forsaken, you knew what you were doing.

In silence, your violence has left my life in ruin."

-Black Sabbath, _Dear Father_

 **CIRCA 2001**

A few months had gone by and Maddie had been able to stay away from trouble. She was doing good in school and Tim could not be more proud of her. He had some solace with Maddie and what she had done. He also felt he somehow brought it on her by telling her about the dangers of the world. Tim felt lonely at the lab. He sat motionless in front of HEV parts on his table. He was working on Gordon Freeman's damaged HEV suit. If Maddie was with him, they would have made progress. Laura Fuller walked by the lab. He thought about talking to her but simply did not feel like it. She had a smile on her face, so she was probably on her way to see Barney. Tim wanted to go home. He hated being there. He hated every minute of it.

Maddie sat in class, listening to the teacher talk. She felt satisfied, knowing there was no one around to bother her. As she sat there, she wondered about Gordon Freeman. She dreamed of being with him on a rampage, eradicating every bad person. As the boredom sank in, she wanted to be far away from there. Black Mesa seemed as if it were the perfect place for her. Tim told her that he was working on Gordon's HEV suit. That's exactly what she wanted to be doing.

At recess, Maddie was sitting on a swing. She rocked back and forth, not really having the enthusiasm to actually swing. Then, two people walked behind her and stood there for a while. As soon as Maddie noticed two large shadows, both of them grabbed her pigtails and pulled her back. It was Belle and Anna.

"Hey you little creep," Belle said.

Maddie stared at them from the vertical position while still on the swing.

"We know it was you," Anna said.

"Yeah, you killed them," Belle confirmed.

Maddie shook her head.

"Don't lie, our dad says it was you," Anna said, "He knows 'cause he saw you running around when they were killed."

"Yeah creepo," Belle said, angrily, "Who else was it? We're gonna make sure you go away forever."

Maddie had an evil stare on her face and then she chuckled. Belle and Anna got scared. Then, a teacher saw them and approached.

"Hey!" He shouted, "Let her go!"

Belle and Anna complied. Maddie sat up.

"What's wrong with you two?" He said, "Belle and Anna, you two are in trouble.

As the teacher was talking to them, Maddie showed a grin. When he turned his attention to Maddie, she looked as if she was going to cry. He looked right into her innocent eyes and felt sorry for her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"They pulled my hair," Maddie said in a sorrow tone.

"Oh, it will be okay. Nothing to worry about."

The teacher turned his attention Belle and Anna. Maddie showed them a middle finger and smiled.

"You two, principal's office, now!" The teacher demanded.

Maddie smiled as they walked away. Maddie had forgotten about Belle and Anna and realized she needed to get rid of them. This time, she would have her father on her side, perhaps to assist in the removal and to not have the police searching for evidence.

After school was out, Tim drove Maddie home. He repeated the same political talk and conspiracy theories.

"Daddy, Belle and Anna said they know something about what I did," she told him.

Tim remained silent.

"They said their dad knew," she continued.

"Nothing to worry about," he replied, "I'll make sure no one ever finds out."

Shortly after Maddie and Tim got home, he called her into the garage. He was sitting on a stool near his tool cart.

"Maddie, I got something for you," he said.

He took out a dagger. It was all black and 7 inches in long.

"This is for you," he said.

"Wow!" Maddie exclaimed. "This looks awesome!"

"It's nice and sharp. Don't let anyone bother you and don't let anyone take it from you, got it?"

"Yes daddy."

Maddie was in awe and the incredible sharpness of the blade. She pictured in her mind licking the knife after it was covered in blood.

"I would rather you use that instead of my kitchen knives," he told her.

Tim also handed her a sheath.

"Make sure you keep the dagger in there. It has a belt clip and a lanyard to wear around your neck."

Maddie held it and swiped it back and forth with a smile on her face.

"Now listen, those two have no proof," he stated.

"What if they tell the police?" She asked.

"They won't. Just don't raise suspicions, play innocent like I know you can do. When the time comes, that's when you show them why no one should oppose you."

Maddie looked at her newfound dagger and then looked at Tim and smiled. He nodded and returned a smile.

"Maddie, how would you like to learn how to use weapons like these?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, I would like to."

"I can't guarantee you'll become a combat master, but I can help you get there."

"I wanna learn to fight."

"I have a few supplies. I can set it up for you."

Later that night, Tim was sitting downstairs on the couch. Maddie was in bed and he was watching the news. He was watching a report about Gordon Freeman missing and that the police were searching for him. Tim drifted off to sleep. A few minutes later, someone in a black mask was lurking outside. He went around to the back and used a crowbar to break the door open. The sound woke up Tim. The intruder was a large man who was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, a pair of jeans, and sneakers.

"What do you want?" He asked the intruder.

"You killed him," he said.

"No, I didn't kill anyone, please don't hurt me."

"Shut up! You killed my son!"

"No."

Tim got off the couch and backed away. The intruder swung the crowbar and struck Tim in the arm. He went down in pain.

"I'm gonna bash your fucking head in," the intruder said.

"You got the wrong guy, I swear!" Tim pleaded.

Then, the intruder felt a pain in his side. He dropped the crowbar as he felt another pain. He realized he was bleeding and dropped to his knees. Tim looked up and saw Maddie with the dagger. She stabbed him repeatedly in the arm and back. The way the dagger felt was like no other to Maddie. It went in with pure ease, caused more pain, and caused more blood. She loved the blood coming out as she pulled out the knife. The intruder collapsed dead on the floor. Maddie chuckled while Tim shivered. She noticed him.

"Daddy, don't be scared," she said, "The bad man is dead."

Tim began to calm down.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, thank you Maddie."

Tim pulled off the mask and they realized it was Morty's dad.

"We need to get rid of him," he said.

Tim had been able to fix the broken door using wood glue. It was not severely damaged. He had used a plastic tarp to wrap the body up. They were able to clean the blood off the hardwood floor. Maddie's clothing had been covered in blood as well as her arms and face. Tim washed it off her and put her clothes in the washer. After a new change of clothing, Tim drove the car into the garage to secretly place the body inside. Tim struggled with the weight of the intruder's corpse but managed to get it in the trunk. It was around 10 P.M. as they headed down a dark deserted road. Tim and Maddie remained mostly silent throughout the road trip. Maddie had her dagger with her in the sheath around her neck. She stared straight ahead into the darkness of the road.

Tim pulled over to the side and backed the car near the trees. He wore gloves so the authorities would not get any fingerprints. He pulled the body out of the trunk and dragged it near a steep drop off and shoved the body down the drop. They got back in the car and drove back home.

"Someone will eventually find the body," Tim told her. "What will you say if the police question you?"

"I don't know anything," she replied.

"Good."

Tim had his reasons not to tell the police about the break-in.

"Do you know why we are not going to tell the police anything?" Tim asked.

Maddie thought about the question.

"Because, they might suspect something," she answered, "They will…connect this to the other ones."

"Exactly."

Tim drove down the dark road.


	2. Gone, Dead, and Buried

**GONE, DEAD, AND BURIED**

Tim was walking back to his lab when he saw Laura Fuller walking down the hall.

"Oh hello," Tim said.

"Hey there," she replied, "Trying to be productive without Maddie?"

"Oh, yes, I really wish she was here and I'm sure she would like to be here as well."

"How are you holding up?"

"Fine, why do you ask?"

"That nut job, Gordon Freeman, remember?"

"Oh, right, I'm doing fine, and you?"

"I'll manage."

"Laura, if you need anything from me, just ask."

"Thanks."

Walter walked into the hall, hugging a folder.

"And how's Maddie doing after all this?" Laura said, "I hope she's okay."

"She's doing wonderful!" Tim replied, making sure Walter heard him, "She's getting good grades, behaves well. I'm so lucky to have her as a daughter!"

"Wow! Makes me want to have kids."

"Yesterday I gave her a gift, a nice dollhouse. She won't stop playing with it."

"I can't imagine. She must be ecstatic."

"Oh she is."

"Well I gotta run. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Laura walked away and Tim stared at her. He looked back at Walter who was walking in the opposite direction, peering over his shoulder. Tim adjusted his tie and entered his lab. His work on the destroyed HEV suit was making progress. He completely repaired the upper body and arms. The helmet was completely restored except for the functions inside. He was still shaken by the intrusion last night, but was also delighted by the way Maddie slayed the intruder.

Maddie was at lunch. Belle and Anna were sitting across from her, two tables away. They looked at Maddie. She responded by making a throat slashing motion at them. Belle and Anna looked down at the table and Maddie smiled.

After lunch was over, Belle was in the bathroom stall. When she came out, Maddie surprised her and grabbed her shirt. She pushed her back into the stall.

"I'm telling," Belle said.

"No you're not," Maddie replied. "You're gonna keep your mouth shut."

Maddie set her on the toilet and held Belle's hair with a tight grip.

"Tell me what you know," Maddie said, "Now!"

Belle was nervous.

"I'm not afraid of you creep," Belle said.

Maddie could sense Belle's fear. She smiled and showed an evil stare.

"I know you are afraid of me," Maddie said, gazing into her eyes.

"You killed them, you blew up their car. You killed Sheila, you killed Morty and Caleb. I know you did."

Maddie shook her head no.

"Prove it," Maddie replied.

Belle remained silent with an angry look. Maddie chuckled.

"If I really killed them, I would have silenced you already."

Maddie laughed. Belle had tears in her eyes. Then, Anna walked in. Maddie stepped out of the stall and saw her.

"What are you doing in here creep?" Anna asked.

Maddie laughed. Anna saw Belle crying in the stall.

"What did you do to her?" Anna said.

"If you two mess with me, you will regret it!" Maddie boldly stated.

Anna turned around.

"You're such a loser. No one likes you except your creepy dad," Anna told her.

Maddie slapped her across the face, causing Anna to cry. Maddie smiled and ran out the bathroom.

During dismissal, as Maddie was walking through the hall, Anna tripped her. She stood over her.

"I'll make sure you get locked up forever creepo," she said.

As Maddie tried to get up, Belle shoved her down.

"Psycho," Belle said.

Belle and Anna walked away and Maddie stood up. She stared at them as they walked down the hall.

Later that evening, Maddie was sitting at her tea table. Tim was sitting in front of her and was painting something on her face.

"A look like this will certainly strike fear into them," Tim said, "We need this, just in case someone sees you."

"I absorb fear," Maddie replied.

"There you go."

Tim finished painting her face.

"I'll conceal my face as well," he said, "We'll need to exit through the bunker."

Maddie looked in to a mirror.

"Wow! It looks cool," she said.

"The ancient warriors would wear war paint when they fought in battle," he told her, "They would not use the design I painted on you, but different designs. They would use paint to make them ruthless. I want you to do this each time you feel the need to exact revenge."

Maddie stood outside of Belle and Anna's house at the edge of the driveway. She did nothing but stare at the house with crazy eyes. She was wearing a black and red shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Maddie grabbed a rock and threw it at the car in the driveway. The alarm sounded and Maddie stood still, staring at the house. Belle and Anna's dad opened the door and saw her.

"You!" He said, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She stood there smiling. He seemed confused

"I'm talking to you!" He yelled. "You little psycho kid."

He walked towards her and Maddie ran to the backyard.

"Hey, this is my house, get back here."

He followed her to the back and looked around for her. Maddie had disappeared. There was a large pool in the middle and he decided to circle around it. There was also a dining set nearby and he checked the area.

"You know, I'm glad my girls are giving you a hard time," he said, "Anyone who is related to that creepy father of yours deserves to be punished. I already told the police about you. You hear me you little creep?"

Suddenly, Maddie appeared behind him. Her face paint consisted of white face, black around the eyes, which went down the sides of her face, and a red smile which was smeared on. He turned around and saw her smiling and holding the dagger.

"Amazing isn't it?" She said.

Before he could scream, she stabbed him in the leg, jumped on his back, and held his mouth. She stabbed him in the arm and chest. She let go of him and he stumbled down. Maddie stood in front of him and kneeled down to watch him die. She smiled at him.

"Die," she whispered.

Maddie watched as he died. She ran into the house and searched for Belle and Anna. They were inside the living room and saw Maddie with the bloody dagger. They screamed. They ran towards the door and opened it, but someone wearing all black clothing and a scary white mask was there. They screamed as the person entered and locked the door. Belle backed into Maddie who stabbed her in the chest. The person grabbed Anna by the hair and held her for Maddie.

"I told you that you'd regret it!" Maddie said.

Maddie swiped the knife at her, slicing her throat. With both Belle and Anna dead, Maddie felt ecstatic. The feeling overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees, laughing. The person took off the mask. It was Tim.

"We need to get rid of them," He said.

Maddie was too busy, letting the thrill flow through her veins. Tim buried the bodies in the backyard. They cleaned up the blood inside the house and outside as well. Back at the house, Maddie washed the face paint off, the feeling still ran through her. She did not want the feeling to go away. After drying her face, she went into her room and left the light off despite it being dark outside. She stared out the window and into the night. Maddie loved being in the dark. No one could see her, but she could see them.


	3. Training the Warrior

**TRAINING THE WARRIOR**

The next day, Maddie sat on the steps of the porch and looked upon the sunny day. Anyone that caused her trouble was gone, dead, and buried. Deep down inside her, she wished for a friend; someone to play with. Then, Tim came onto the porch.

"Maddie, I want you to come downstairs," he said, "It's time you learn a few things."

He went back inside, leaving Maddie wondering what he had in store. She walked down the steps into the bunker. Tim was waiting for her at the end of the hall.

"Come on in," he said.

She walked into the room at the end of the hall and saw that the once empty room was no longer empty. There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling, a set of wooden sticks and katana's hung on the wall, a large dartboard, and a set of small weights on the floor. Maddie looked in awe.

"This is for you, my darling," he said, "I want you to learn the art of combat."

"Daddy, where did you get all this?" Maddie said with excitement.

"From a supply shop. I want you to work hard at this and become a warrior. Using a dagger will only get you so far."

"Daddy, this is awesome!" She replied.

She ran over to the punching bag and slapped it. Then, she ran over to the wooden sticks and began twirling it. She looked at the katana's and picked one up. It was a long, sharp blade and she could see her reflection. She moved it back and forth, slowly slicing through the air. Tim smiled as she enjoyed it.

"There's more for you," Tim said.

He grabbed a briefcase and opened it. There were numerous combat knives and throwing knives. Maddie picked a few of them up and looked at them.

"How long have you had these?" She asked.

"A long time. It's been passed down in our family."

He kneeled beside her.

"And I'm passing it on to you," he continued, "I was never committed to the art, but I know that you have it in you. The heart of a warrior. You can excel in ninjutsu. I know you can."

"You mean like, jumping around, doing kicks and punches, disappearing, sneaking in the dark?"

"Well, I can't teach you all that, but I can teach you discipline. It's to prepare you for the real ninja training. Do you want to rid the world of all its evil?"

Maddie nodded.

"I'm ready!" She said.

"Good."

Maddie was excited. She wanted to be like a ninja. She began practicing in the room by throwing punches and kicks. It was hard for her to keep a smooth rhythm and balance. She tried doing cartwheels and backflips, but fell. Tim had placed a mat on the floor to prevent injuries. When she twirled the bo staff, it kept flying out of her hands. Tim watched. Maddie became frustrated.

"Keep trying, it takes years to master this," he said. "Try the heavy bag."

She put on a pair of gloves and struck the bag. Her punches were weak and the bag barely moved. She became tired quickly.

"It's okay, take a few minutes to rest," Tim said.

Maddie sat on the mat. She had seen martial arts movies on TV and realized this was not as easy as it looks. Tim grabbed the briefcase and got out a few throwing knives. They were holstered in a belt. After Maddie regained her energy, she took the throwing knives.

"Now it's time for target practice," Tim said. "Hold the knife by the blade and throw it at the target."

"By the blade?" Maddie asked.

"Yes, that's how it's done."

She took the knife and threw it at the target, the hilt of the knife struck the dartboard. She tried again and again, but could not get the blade into the board. With one blade left, she threw it and it finally stuck into the board. It was nowhere near the bullseye, but she was still proud.

"Well, that was good," Tim said. "It's your first time, don't worry about how you did. I know you will get better."

During the next training session, Maddie was standing on a pair of 2lb dumbbells which were vertical to the ground. She was using her arms for balance. Tim circled around her, holding a kendo stick.

"A ninja warrior is useless without balance," he said, "You will learn through discipline."

Tim lightly struck her with the kendo stick. She wobbled, but kept her balance. Tim continued to circle her. He struck her in the arm but she kept her balance. Then, he struck her in the oblique and she fell off the weights. She was frustrated.

"You must learn to fight through pain, Maddie," Tim advised her.

Maddie got back on the weights. Tim continued to lightly strike her on various parts of her body. Maddie tried her best to absorb the pain. He struck her in the back of the leg, causing her to fall off.

"Concentrate on balancing, not the strikes," Tim told her.

Maddie tried balancing again. She was able to maintain her balance for a short while before falling off again. Later that evening, they sat at the dinner table.

"Madeline, I'm not trying to hurt you," he said, "I'm trying to better you. This world will soon become a war zone and you need to be prepared."

"Yes, daddy," she replied. "I wanna get good at this. Do I have to take karate?"

"No, this type of training is far different from karate. Ninjutsu is a fighting style that only a few can master. There are no rules in a street fight."

"When can I learn to climb buildings?"

"When you progress through your training. Tomorrow we will work on running."

The next day, Maddie and Tim were on an empty football field not too far from the park. Maddie was doing wind sprints as Tim timed her. Maddie ran really well, although she would like to be faster. She ran across the football field towards Tim, who was waiting by the goalpost.

"You're pretty fast," he said.

"I'm tired," she replied.

"Think you can climb on the goalpost and balance on it?"

"I don't know."

"Try it. You wanted to climb, right?"

Maddie stepped back and sprinted towards the goalpost. She jumped and grabbed the beam, Using the stand for support, she pulled herself up on top of the beam.

"Very good!" Tim said.

Maddie slowly stood up on the beam, keeping her balance.

"It's all right, I got you," Tim said.

Maddie walked across the beam, desperately trying to keep her balance. She walked slowly, but precisely and made it across to the pole.

"That was excellent!" Tim said with excitement.

Maddie stood there, holding the post and smiled at Tim. Maddie jumped off and rolled on the ground. She sprung right up to her feet.

"Absolutely impressive," Tim said while clapping.

Maddie stared at the tall buildings ahead in the city skyline. She dreamed of one day being able to climb and leap across them.

As the months went on, Maddie continued practicing fighting and training in the bunker. She was throwing punches and kicks on the heavy bag. Her strikes became louder. Next she took the throwing knives and tried to get them to stick in the dartboard Some missed while other stuck. Her training with the bo staff drastically improved. She hardly dropped it. Tim had told her that she needed more training to use the katana's. Maddie also improved on the balancing. She was able to maintain her concentration and toughen herself up. Tim was proud of her and knew she was going to be successful.


	4. In Love with a Psycho Killer

**IN LOVE WITH A PSYCHO KILLER**

 **CIRCA 2003**

Maddie, now 10 years of age, had continued to train. Her skills improved greatly. She practiced with the bo staff without dropping it, was able to strike the bullseye with the throwing knives, and used the katana's with precision. She was still struggling with the katana's, but was showing improvement. Tim had also sent her to an underground training camp that specialized in ninjutsu. Maddie had also improved her balancing skills. When Tim struck her with the kendo stick, she was able to maintain the balance. She did not flinch as she was struck.

With Maddie out of school during the summer, Tim decided to let Maddie stay in the bunker while he was at work. He had a nervous feeling that she would not get along with the other kids and cause more problems. But he was not worried about her. He knew the bunker was secure and she knew how to protect herself.

Maddie would watch TV, practice her skills, draw pictures of gore and violence, and occasionally walk up into the house. She would go into her room and look out the window. As she flipped through her drawings, she saw Gordon Freeman. He had been on another Black Mesa Rampage last year and Maddie was upset that she missed out on it. Then, Maddie heard her cell phone ring. It was Tim.

"Hey, Daddy," she said.

"Maddie, Gordon Freeman is back!" He said.

"He is?"

"He's running through here killing everyone. But don't worry about me, he left me alone. I hope he gets Walter this time."

"Daddy, I want to see him."

"No, I can't let you see a mass murderer. You should stay away from him. I just want you to know that I'm okay."

"Please be safe."

"I will."

Maddie wanted to be with Gordon and she needed to find him. Tim told her to never leave the bunker, but she was about to break that rule to be with someone who understood her besides Tim. Maddie was not a typical 10-year-old girl who dreamed of pop stars and TV stars, she dreamed of a psycho killer. Maddie laid on her bed and realized she was in love.

Tim made it home safe and sound. He entered the house and went downstairs to open the door of the bunker. He realized that Maddie left it unlocked.

"Madeline, remember to keep this door locked," he said, "This bunker is practically useless if you leave it unlocked."

At this time, Maddie would usually respond to him with her charm and Tim would give in, forgetting that she disobeyed him. But he did not hear anything. He searched all the rooms of the bunker and realized she was not inside. He ran back up to the house and went into her room. It was empty. His heart began pounding as he searched the rest of the house and the garage. There was no sign of her. He ran out to the back porch and looked around.

"Maddie!" He yelled. "Maddie!"

He ran around to the front and looked down the street. They were deserted. Tim was devastated and various thoughts ran in his head. Was she kidnapped? Did she run away? He took out his cell phone and called her. The phone rang but there was no answer. He dropped the phone on the ground and fell to his knees. Maddie was gone.

Gordon Freeman ran through the woods hoping to escape the authorities. They once again thought he was dead and he wanted it to stay that way. He still had the legs of the HEV suit on him. He had a cut on his arm and needed to get back to his safe house. Gordon had been living there for 2 years; ever since his first rampage at Black Mesa. He was getting close to the safe house. It was located in an abandoned complex. It was an old apartment and it was occupied by other shady characters. He walked into his building and walked towards his place located on the top floor. When Gordon walked in, he passed a drug addict lying on the steps. He handed him a plastic bag that contained drugs, and the addict handed him a wad of cash.

"You did it again," the addict said.

"Yeah," Gordon replied.

"Gotta kill."

"That's right."

Gordon walked past him and up to his place. His safe house was kept clean, although the wallpaper was peeling off and the carpet was worn. In order to get food, he would disguise himself by wearing a wig with a shag cut, putting on colored contacts that made his eyes brown, and removing his glasses. He sat down and watched the news report about the Black Mesa attack. He smiled as they reported the number of scientists that had died. Gordon then stood over the sink, washing the cut on his arm. He placed a bandage over it and then heard a noise. He grabbed his Glock 17 and pointed it at the person sitting on the couch. It was Maddie. She was wearing a red and black shirt, black pants, and sneakers. She also had black mascara around her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, lowering his gun, "How did you find me?"

Maddie chuckled.

"I followed you from Black Mesa," she replied. "I came here to be with you."

He walked closer to her.

"This is no place for a child. There are dangerous people here."

"I could just kill them, just like you do."

Gordon sat on the couch next to her.

"Did you run away?" He asked.

"No."

"Tim is probably worried about you."

"I here for you."

Maddie moved closer to Gordon.

"Something about you drives me wild," she said.

"How'd you get here?"

"I climbed the rooftops. I've practicing. I want to take down the bad people."

"We're surrounded by bad people. I'm a bad person."

Maddie shook her head.

"You are a good person, a fascinating person."

Maddie stared into his eyes as if she was trying to hypnotize him. Gordon turned away, but Maddie put her arm around him. She felt his goatee and he turned his head towards her. Gordon stared into her gaze.

"I'm in love," she said. "I'm crazy for you."

Gordon turned away. Maddie put her face on the side of his face.

"Stop!" Gordon said.

Maddie pulled back.

"You have no idea what love is," Gordon said.

"But I…"

"You're way too young."

Maddie smiled and sat in front of him, fixing a hypnotic stare into his eyes. Gordon leaned back as Maddie put her arms around him.

"Then shove me off," Maddie said. "If you do, I'll still love you."

"Stop saying you love me."

"You don't love me?"

"I like you, Maddie. I don't love you. What kind of person would I be if I loved a little girl?"

Maddie laughed.

"You kill people! I kill people!" She said with delight, "I love killing people and so do you."

"You killed people?" He asked.

Maddie nodded.

"They were very bad to me," she said.

Gordon laughed. Maddie leaned to his side and lightly bit his ear. She giggled.

"Go ahead," she continued, "Shove me off, if you don't love me."

Gordon just stared at her.

"See, you can't do it. You love me."

Maddie put her arms around him and leaned in closer.

"You are a fascinating girl," Gordon said. "I…"

Maddie slowly moved closer to him. She wanted to kiss him on the lips. Gordon remained still as they came close to kissing. Then, he moved back before she could kiss him. Maddie giggled.

"I can't do this with you," he said, "You're too young and I'm not one of those freaks."

"I understand. I still love you."

Later that evening, Gordon made dinner for Maddie. They each had chicken and rice. Gordon had a beer and Maddie drank water.

"You should give Tim a call," Gordon said, "Let him know you are with me."

"He'll just tell me to come home."

"Maybe you should. The police are probably looking for you."

When the news report of Maddie missing came on, Tim was being interviewed.

"Maddie, please come home," he said, with tears in his eyes, "Please, whoever has her, please return her safely. I'm worried sick about you. She's a good girl. Please come home."

Maddie hated seeing Tim like that. She felt bad that she ran off and left him worrying. It took Tim crying to realize she made a mistake. She had brought her cell phone with her and called Tim.

"Maddie?" Tim answered.

"It's me daddy."

"Where are you? Please be safe."

"I'm okay. I'm with…Gordon."

"Why? Why did you run away?"

"I wanted to be with him."

"Maddie, everyone is worried about you. I'm worried about you. Please come home."

"I will daddy. You're not mad at me are you? Please don't be. I'm sorry I ran away."

"Oh Madeline, I'm not mad at you. Please come home."

"I will."

"Is he taking care of you?"

"He is."

"Come home tomorrow, I don't want you out alone in the dark, okay?"

"Okay."

"Madeline, I love you."

"I love you too daddy."

After the conversation, Maddie finished her meal.

"Tim's a good man," Gordon said, "You're lucky to have him as a father."

"He's a good daddy," Maddie replied. "I love him very much."

Gordon sat back in his chair with his hands behind his head. Maddie did the same thing and smiled.

"You can stay with me," Gordon said, "If you don't tell anyone, I'm here."

"It's a deal. What do I tell them? The police will ask me."

"Tell 'em you don't know."

Later that night, at bedtime, Gordon laid in his bed. Then, Maddie climbed in and got on top of him and smiled.

"Go sleep on the couch," he said.

Maddie shook her head.

"I wanna sleep with you," she said.

She leaned closer to him and Gordon put her hand on her forehead. Maddie laughed.

"No funny business then," he said.

"I wanna kiss you."

He turned his head to the side and Maddie kissed him on the cheek. She laid next to him and he drifted off to sleep. Maddie quietly grabbed his arm and put it around her, holding his hand as they slept.

The next day, Gordon drove Maddie home. He was wearing his disguise. Gordon stopped when they reached her house.

"Maddie, I actually liked having you around."

"I liked being with you."

"You should come by, if Tim allows it."

"I'll talk to him."

"And Maddie, keep fighting the bad people."

"Are you going back to Black Mesa?"

"Probably not. I gotta keep a low profile."

Maddie unbuckled her seatbelt and quickly leaped up, kissing Gordon right on the lips. Maddie giggled and Gordon cracked a smile. Maddie walked in the house and Tim was there waiting for her.

"Maddie!" He shouted.

He ran over to her and hugged her.

"Oh I missed you so much," he said.

"I missed you too daddy."

"Please don't do that again."

Tim put his hands on her shoulders.

"I was so worried," he said.

"I saw you on TV," Maddie told him, "You were crying, I didn't want you to cry. I'm sorry."

"Never do it again. Never."

"Yes daddy."

Maddie washed the eye paint off as Tim notified the police that Maddie was found. She went downstairs where Tim was waiting for her on the couch. She sat down.

"Maddie, I need to talk to you about something," he said.

"I said sorry," she replied.

"No, not about that, about Gordon Freeman. The police know that you met with him."

Maddie smiled and nodded.

"I had to tell them that," he continued.

Maddie pouted.

"Because you ran off with him, they want you to go through a psych evaluation."

Maddie chuckled.

"What else do they know?" She asked.

"Nothing else. I want you to go through with it, just to get them off our backs and so they don't dig too deep into us."

Maddie shook her head.

"Madeline, please, just do it for me," he pleaded, "I really don't think we have a choice."

Maddie took a deep breath.

"Okay. For you," she said.

Later in the day, the police interviewed Maddie and asked why she ran away. She had to be honest and say that it was to be with Gordon Freeman. When asked where he was, she kept her loyalty to him by telling him that it was an abandoned place underground and didn't know where it was. She also told them that he fled the area and didn't know where to. Tim lied and said she was with Tim's mother who lived about 2 miles away. After they left, a representative from Stonebridge Heights called and told them they would be at the house in two days.

"That was Stonebridge Heights," Tim said.

"The asylum?"

"Yes."

"It will be okay. They want you to stay there for a few days to evaluate you. To make sure you're not…insane."

Maddie laughed.

"Daddy, you know how I am," she said.

"I know, but please do this."

Maddie apparently did not have a choice in the matter. For the first time in a while, she felt nervous.


	5. Neighbor of the Beast

**NEIGHBOR OF THE BEAST**

When the time came, Tim drove her over to Stonebridge Heights. Tim made Maddie dress nicely for her evaluation.

"Maddie, everything will be okay," he said, "As much as I hate for you to spend time away from me, I feel that it is necessary. Just to shut them up."

They pulled into the parking lot.

"Don't tell them anything incriminating, no matter how hard they try," Tim told her.

They got out of the car. Tim carried Maddie's suitcase as they walked towards Stonebridge Heights. The place looked like a creepy mansion that was home to someone that was lonely and evil. There was a large brick wall outside and a large gate. They approached the front office. Maddie looked down the hall which was long and narrow. She turned to the side and looked down the other hallway. It was the same as before. Tim filled out the necessary paperwork and they waited for the doctor in the waiting room. Maddie noticed a large mirror to the side of them.

Unbeknownst to them, a man and a woman were watching them from behind the mirror. The woman wrote something down.

"I really think she did it," the woman said, "Just look at her face. Guilty as sin. I can't believe the cops haven't locked her up yet."

"I know she did it," the man said. "It all adds up. I'm going to prove it and collect that reward."

"It shouldn't be too hard; she gets angry so easily."

"I blame the father. What kind of little girl runs off with a serial killer? I'm going to get all the answers out of her."

"Good luck."

The man exited the area behind the mirror and walked into the waiting room. Tim and Maddie stood up.

"Hello, you must be Tim Brennan," he said.

"Yes, and this is my daughter Madeline," Tim replied.

Maddie appeared shy and was standing behind Tim.

"I'm Dr. Garrison."

He looked down at Maddie.

"Hello Madeline," Dr. Garrison said, "Nice to meet you."

Maddie cracked a smile.

"Well, if you're ready, I'd like to get her situated. The sooner we can start the evaluation, the sooner she can leave here," Dr. Garrison told Tim.

"How long will she be here? I really don't like the idea of her being away."

"It depends on the test results."

"What if the results are…?"

"Tim, we are here to help her. We will do everything we can."

"Can I speak with her for a minute?"

"Sure, I'll wait."

Dr. Garrison walked behind the door.

"Daddy, I don't want to be here," Maddie said, pouting.

Tim kneeled down.

"Maddie, I told you before, please do this for me. I don't want you away from home, but this can be good for you. I want you to live a happy life."

Maddie pouted.

"It's going to be okay," he continued, "To be honest, some of the things you have been doing is not really what a little girl should be doing."

"I do them, because I have to do them."

Tim put his forehead on her.

"Maddie, remember we don't have a choice," he whispered, "You can do this. You are a brave girl."

"I'm only doing it for you," she replied.

They hugged.

"I love you Maddie."

"I love you daddy."

Tim grabbed her suitcase and they walked to the door. Dr. Garrison opened it.

"Ready?" Dr. Garrison said.

Tim handed Maddie her suitcase. They waved bye to each other as the door closed. A man in white clothing walked in front of them.

"I'll show you to your room," Dr. Garrison said, "Let him take your suitcase."

Maddie handed him the suitcase. She walked through the long white hallway passing offices and storage rooms. She looked behind and saw they we quite a distance from the entrance. They turned to the right and stopped at a room marked 667. Dr. Garrison unlocked the door and escorted her in. The man in white set her suitcase on the bed and left. Room 667 was larger than her bedroom. It had a bed, white paint on the wall, a shag carpet, a desk, TV, and a bookshelf with only a few books. The window was rather large and Maddie could see the sunshine poking through.

"This is your room Madeline," he said, "How do you like it?"

"It's fine," she said.

"Don't worry, it's not going to be long. I'll let you adjust and unpack. Since it's almost lunch, I'll let you eat first. Someone will come by to bring you lunch."

Dr. Garrison left. Maddie was still upset about being there, but she knew in good conscious she needed to be here. Would they understand her? Maddie would soon know the answer. She felt lonely already. Maddie decided to look out the window and when she opened the curtains, there were black bars on the other side. There were trees blocking the view of the city which she could barely see. Maddie felt trapped. She reminded herself that she was only here for Tim. She opened her suitcase and there was a note on top of her clothing. It read:

TO MADELINE, REMEMBER I BELIEVE IN YOU. LET NO ONE IN THIS WORLD CONTROL YOU. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT I LOVE AND I MISS YOU ALREADY. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I LOVE YOU. – LOVE, TIM

Maddie had already missed his presence. After she was settled in, she began practicing her ninjutsu in the confined space of her room. Thirty minutes went by and Maddie was served lunch in her room. She sat at the desk and when she was finished, a man in white clothing came by to collect her dishes.

Dr. Garrison returned and took Maddie to a room down the hall. It had a large round table in the center, and like the rest of the rooms, it had white walls. There was also a black semi-circle in the ceiling. Dr. Garrison handed her a test booklet.

"Madeline, I want you to take an I.Q. test," he said, "It is important we know your intelligence. Have you taken one before."

"No."

"Well, it doesn't matter. Just remember there is no right or wrong answer."

As Maddie took the test, a woman was observing her on the camera. Dr. Garrison joined her.

"Anything?" The woman asked.

"Not yet," Dr. Garrison said, "She seems to have a good relationship with her father."

"We need to get inside her head and make her mad. Tomorrow you do the interview. Let's get this over with quickly."

They continued to observe her. Maddie stopped for a while and then slowly looked up at the camera and smiled. She looked down and resumed the test.

"She knows she's being watched," the woman said.

"She's smarter than we thought," Dr. Garrison replied.

Maddie waited for Dr. Garrison to return after she had finished the test. He walked into the room and collected it.

"Well, Madeline, that will be enough for today," he said. "Tomorrow we'll sit down and have a discussion."

"About what?"

"About you and your activities. I'll look over the test and let you know the results. In the meantime, I'll take you back to your room."

Maddie looked outside the window of her room and noticed the sun was setting. She had wondered if she was here because she was crazy, but she felt fine. She felt she did nothing wrong and those bad kids deserved to die. Maddie realized that she may have been surrounded by other kids, or even worse, bad people. She laid on her bed and took out a book that Tim packed for her. It was a book on ninjutsu.

Dr. Garrison entered her room and was carrying a clipboard.

"Madeline, I have your test results," he said. "I'm very impressed with the results. Your I.Q is 135. That's close to genius."

"So, there's nothing wrong with me then."

"Well that test was not really a psychiatric test."

Maddie seemed as if she did not care what the results were.

"Can I call my daddy?" Maddie asked.

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tim sat on the couch eating dinner. The house was not the same without Maddie's presence. He sat there and barely touched his food. Then, the phone rang. It was Maddie.

"Maddie, hello," he said, "How is everything?"

"I hate it here," she replied.

"I know you do. I don't like you being over there at all. It's lonely here without you."

"I took an I.Q. test today, the doctor said it was 135."

"135? That's amazing! I'm very proud of you."

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"I know Maddie; I love you just the way you are."

"I can't wait to come home. I miss you already."

"I miss you too sweetie. You'll only be there for one more day."

For the first time in her life, Maddie went to bed without Tim tucking her in, without him telling her conspiracy theories, and without him telling her about the oncoming apocalypse in the near future. But she managed to fall asleep, thinking about Gordon Freeman.

Before Tim went to bed, he turned the light on in Maddie's room, looked at her empty bed, and then turned off the light.

The next day, Maddie was dressed in in all white clothing. She waited in her room for Dr. Garrison. Then, the woman stepped into her room. She was an older woman, close to her sixties, had her red and gray hair in a bun, was stocky, and sported a mean look on her face. Maddie noticed her name tag which read, J. Carter.

"Madeline Brennan," she said. "I've been waiting for a chance to meet you and see you up close."

Maddie just stared at her.

"There's a reason you're here," she continued, "And it's because you have been, coincidentally, in the heart of trouble. Something odd strikes me that so many murders were committed in your presence."

Maddie had an angry look on her.

"I know you. I know who is and who is not a trouble maker. I don't care for trouble makers."

"I didn't do anything," Maddie boldly stated.

"If we do find something incriminating, I'll make sure you spend a long time here. There's definitely a presence of wickedness in your eyes. Any girl that has a fantasy about a merciless serial killer should be in here. In a straightjacket."

Maddie was not intimidated by her threats.

"You don't know me," Maddie said with a smile on her face, "I admire Gordon Freeman. Someday, I'm gonna be with him."

"You are an evil little girl," Mrs. Carter said.

Maddie laughed. Her laugh sent a chill down Mrs. Carter's spine.

"You'll be sorry," Mrs. Carter said.

She left the room. Maddie smiled as she sat on the bed.


	6. Maddie in the Madhouse

**MADDIE IN THE MADHOUSE**

Maddie was escorted through the hallowed halls of the Stonebridge Heights Asylum. She kept thinking about Gordon, hoping that he was okay. She was dressed in all white clothing much like the patients that were kept here. She reminded herself that she was not a patient. She was only here for an observation. The doctor opened the door to the room and she entered. The room had white walls and a rectangular table in the center. There were no windows and the room was kept clean.

"Have a seat, Madeline," the doctor said.

She sat down and looked around at the emptiness of the room as if she was expecting something to jump out. The doctor sat down and sorted out some papers. Maddie had a feeling something was wrong.

"Okay, Madeline, or do you prefer Maddie?" he asked.

"Maddie is fine," she said.

"Now I want to talk about Tim, your father. What's the relationship like?" He asked.

"I love my daddy. I like being around him."

"How does he treat you?"

Maddie was annoyed by the question.

"He treats me well," she said.

"Has he ever been abusive towards you?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?" Maddie said in disgust. "He's a good person. The only reason I'm here is because he asked me to come. You don't know him, so stop it."

As Maddie became frustrated, the doctor seemed to be in a somewhat joyful mood. Maddie saw it in his face.

"Tell me about your mother," he said.

"NO!" Maddie yelled.

The doctor seemed to be unaffected by her response and continued to write something.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about her," he said. "Has your father been neglecting you?"

Maddie looked as if she wanted to kill him.

"I told you, he treats me well," she said in a bold tone, "He cares about me."

As the doctor was writing, Maddie looked around the room and noticed a security camera embedded in the corner of the wall. By the way the doctors were acting, she suddenly realized that they wanted her to become frustrated and have an emotional break down. She had fallen right into their trap.

"Maddie, if you truly have a loving relationship with your father, why did you run away?"

Maddie smiled.

"To be with Gordon Freeman," she said, "He's my friend."

"Your friends with a psycho killer?"

Maddie laughed, puzzling the doctor. Maddie slammed her hands on the table.

"Yes!" She said with a smile.

"Go ahead, tell me why," he said.

"Because, he killed bad people. He made them suffer. He got revenge on them."

"And to you, was this the right way or the wrong way?"

"The right way," she whispered with a smile.

"And the scientists that he mercilessly killed…"

Maddie laughed.

"That's not funny," he said.

"Yes, it is."

"How would you know they were bad people?"

"Daddy told me."

The doctor could see the evil in her eyes.

"I want to talk about Black Mesa," he said. "Tell me what you saw when you were there."

"I first heard the gunshots and I was so scared. I was worried about my daddy as I heard more gunshots. Then, I heard screaming. Something about those screams triggered something inside of me that made me want to hear more."

"Why did you want to follow such a dangerous man?"

"I had to meet the man that caused that much violence. Gordon killed those who deserved it. Dead bodies were everywhere. Bullet holes and slashed throats. Blood on the walls, on the floor, everywhere."

"Maddie, why do you enjoy seeing these violent images? People, especially your age can become very traumatized upon witnessing such a thing."

"Bad people deserve to die; do you agree with me?"

Maddie smiled. The doctor was shocked by her statements. He had dealt with dangerous psychopaths before, but never anyone like this. His heart began to pound harder and then he realized she was only a child.

"So you assume they are bad because your father told you and you believe him?" He asked.

Maddie nodded.

"He would never lie to me," she stated, "No secrets between us."

The doctor did not know how to define Maddie's behavior. She would constantly turn evil and then back to being an innocent child.

"Next to my daddy, Gordon's my hero," Maddie said. "I've drawn pictures of him, of his violence, of his terror."

"Why?" He asked.

"I like him."

The doctor wrote something down.

"Do you hate someone so much that you want them dead?" Maddie asked.

The doctor looked at her.

"I'm asking the questions here," he replied.

Maddie chuckled, realizing the doctor was scared.

"I, like many people, want to know happened between you and Gordon," he said, "When you were with him. Did he do anything to you?"

"We spoke. About him, about me, and we realized we were similar. He fed me, gave me a place to stay. He was real nice to me. And no, he didn't abuse me, he didn't molest me. What's with everyone asking me that?"

"Everyone was worried about you. You see no one wants to hate you, they cared about you."

"Bullshit! They don't care. On TV they play in nice, but when you walk by their house, they look like they want to kill you."

"When did you decide to come home?"

Maddie had a sorrow look on her face.

"When I saw my daddy on TV," she said, "He was crying, he wanted me to come home. I didn't want my daddy to cry. So I asked Gordon to take me home."

"And he did it right away?"

Maddie nodded.

"Do you know anything about the children that were murdered around your neighborhood and at school?" He asked.

"No. Except they were bad and deserved to die."

"That's not a nice thing to say."

"It doesn't matter. I'm glad they died."

Maddie smiled, knowing she was the culprit. The doctor tried to remain calm, but Maddie could sense he was beginning to fear her.

"Everyone has someone they hate," Maddie said, "I know you do. There's always someone that you hate so much that you want dead. You wish you could end their life, make them suffer."

The doctor immediately thought of his wife and her lover. He knew about it and was too afraid to conquer the problem. Maddie smiled at him.

"Maddie stop it!" The doctor said.

Maddie laughed. The laugh began to echo in the doctor's brain as he thought about his supervisors and the immense hatred he had towards them.

"I know what you're trying to do," she said. "Trying to make me mad so I'll remain here. You know something about me, at least you think you do, but you know nothing."

Maddie smiled. The doctor stared at her.

"Did I tell you about the decapitated head I saw?" Maddie asked.

She stood up and walked to the side of the table. The doctor was starting to shiver.

"He cut off someone's head and left it on a table," she said, "The cold dead eyes staring right back at me. The best part was…THE BLOOD!"

"Oh my god," the doctor whispered.

"Blood was everywhere and it was amazing! Have you ever tasted blood?"

The doctor tried to ignore her. She put her mouth near his ear.

"I have," she whispered.

"It was you," he whispered, "You killed them. You'll remain here."

Maddie laughed. He looked at her and saw and evil gazed looking right at him. He stared into her eyes, becoming hypnotic. Maddie smiled, staring right back into his eyes.

After the evaluation, the doctor erased the security feed to the room. He signed her release form shortly after in an attempt to get rid of her. While Maddie waited for Tim to arrive, she thought about the interview and realized a mix of innocence and evil can make a very good combination. They tried to psychologically break her, but she turned the tables on them. A staff member was in the room with her. She giggled and he stared at her, confused.

When Tim arrived, she stood up, prim and proper. Tim stopped at the counter before entering to sign a few papers. She waved to him and he waved back. He entered and Maddie ran to him. He kneeled down to hug her and he picked her up.

"I missed you so much!" She said.

"I missed you too," he replied, "I'm so glad to have you home. Are you ready?"

"Yes sir."

"Did they treat you well?"

"Yes sir."

Tim looked at her as if he knew something was amiss.

"I can't wait to get home and begin my studies," Maddie said.

He carried her out of the room and exited Stonebridge Heights Asylum. They got in the car and drove away. Maddie sat with her hands folded, smiling and showing teeth.

"Maddie, drop the act," Tim demanded.

Maddie laughed.

"Yeah, I knew it," he said, "I don't know why they tried to get in your brain. You didn't tell them anything did you?"

"No, but I made sure they knew who to fear."

Tim smiled.

"That's my girl!" He said, rubbing her hair.


	7. Everything but a Tin Foil Hat

**EVERYTHING BUT A TIN FOIL HAT**

A few hours after they arrived home, Maddie sat on the couch with an evil look on her face. When she was discussing her experience with Gordon Freeman, it brought on her desire to kill again. She had not had the urge in a long time and she needed to fulfill it.

When Maddie and Tim were eating dinner, a news report came on. It was about the Stonebridge Heights Asylum.

"…That's when Dr. Garrison took a lead pipe and struck Janice Carter repeatedly in the head, causing blunt force trauma. Dr. Garrison apparently has been acting rather strangely for reasons unknown. Police eventually found him, laughing and with blood on his lips as if he was trying to create a smile much like the murders that occurred a few years ago."

Maddie laughed and Tim stared at her.

"Maddie, did you have anything to do with this?" Tim asked.

Maddie continued laughing.

"Maddie, I'm still glad you went over there."

"He wanted to keep me there. I had other plans."

Tim smiled at her.

Nighttime had come and Maddie was in bed, waiting for Tim. He walked in and sat on her bed. He rubbed his hand on her cheek.

"Madeline, I'm so glad you're home," he said, "I was so worried about you being in that place. But I'm so glad it's over now."

"I'm glad to be home too," she replied.

"You're not going to run away like that again, right?"

"Never."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"Good. Because if you run away again, they could lock you inside there for a long time. I hear they use some kind of mind altering methods to create soldiers so they can fight for the government. They also use patients there who are not too insane to carry out the most dangerous assignments. It's because they are expendable. They don't want to risk the lives of any military or police force. I don't want that to be you."

Maddie enjoyed listening to Tim's crackpot conspiracy theories. She did not have the slightest clue as to what he meant or if it was even true or not. She realized Tim was paranoid and had everything but a tin foil hat.

After Tim left, she waited for him to fall asleep. She got out of bed and changed from her pajamas to her half red and half black out fit and put on her boots. Tim had sown a black hood to the shirt. Next, Maddie applied her face paint and packed her dagger. Next, she climbed out of her window and into the night. She closed the window and used a nearby tree to descend to the ground. Taking advantage of the night, she used it to hide as she made her way towards the city.

Her vigorous training had paid off. She was able to climb the buildings, using the window sills, pipes, and ladders. She hadn't mastered climbing buildings too high yet, so she stuck to the smaller ones. She remained out of sight, but close enough to hear the street noise below. Police sirens were heard in the distance and she made her way across the rooftops using her excellent parkour skills. She ran across the rooftops while making sure she was careful and when she landed, she slightly stumbled. Despite this, she remained focus as the police sirens were becoming louder.

Maddie watched from above as the police cars were chasing a silver car. She jumped across the nearby rooftops, following the chase. Then, she came across a large gap and realized she would not make it. She quickly descended to the street and ran into a nearby park where the chase was. She saw the flashing lights ahead and saw that the chase had ended. The suspect abandoned his car and fled the scene. Maddie moved with stealth behind the trees. She saw the suspect a distance from her and proceeded to follow. She followed him out of the park and he ran along a walkway. He was carrying a large bag and was easy to spot due to the street lights above. Maddie realized the police had lost track of him and she stalked him in the darkness.

The suspect ran under a bridge to catch his breath. He was a young man with a brown beard and was wearing a black hoodie and black pants. He opened the bag and looked at the money inside. Then, an evil laugh was heard. He took out his knife and frantically looked around. The laugh was heard again. He wiped the sweat away and was getting nervous. He walked out from under the bridge and looked around. Then, Maddie appeared behind him. She laughed and he turned around, throwing his knife. Maddie had disappeared. He picked up the knife.

"Stupid little bitch," he said.

Maddie appeared behind him and laughed. He was startled and fell to the ground. He saw Maddie and was visibly shaken by her appearance. She smiled at him.

"You're a bad man," she said.

"What the fuck are you? A clown?" He said.

"I hate bad people."

The man got up and pointed his knife at her.

"But I love when people fear me," she continued.

"I ain't scared of no little girl."

"Yes you are. I can feel it."

Maddie stepped forward.

"Come closer and I'll kill you," he said with a nervous voice.

Maddie moved closer. The man threw the knife at her, but Maddie caught it and laughed. She took out her dagger. The man ran away back towards the bridge. When he came out the other end, Maddie jumped down in front of him and stabbed him in the leg with his own knife. She left it in there as he screamed and fell to the ground.

"Screams," she said, "Sound so beautiful."

"You fucking psycho," he said.

Maddie walked towards him as he tried to back away.

"Now you die!" She said.

Maddie repeatedly stabbed him, and enjoyed the knife penetrating him and the blood spurting out as she pulled out the knife. Then, she licked the blood off the knife as he watched with his dying breath. Next, she slit his throat. With the blood from the knife, she smeared a smile on his face. Before the police arrived, she fled into the night.

On her way home, she decided to take a shortcut through a yard. As she got close to the fence, a large black dog barked and growled at her. She was startled at first and then remembered that dogs could sense fear. She stared back at the dog with an evil stare. The dog continued to growl. Maddie thought about going another route but decided to test the dog.

"Nice doggie," she said in a cheerful tone.

Maddie growled back at the dog and the dog stopped growling. The dog backed away while still fixing its eyes on her. Maddie giggled and climbed the fence. She was now standing in front of the dog and stared into its eyes. The dog laid on the ground and now had sad eyes.

"Aww, you're such a cute doggie," Maddie said.

She walked up to it and patted it on the head. Then, she scratched the dog behind the ears. She started to skip away across the yard and realized the dog was still lying there.

"Come on doggie," she said.

The dog got up and ran alongside her as she skipped to the other side. She kissed the dog on the head and then climbed the fence. Maddie ran back to her house, snuck back into her room, and changed out of her clothes. She stared out of the window knowing there was far more evil in the world.


	8. Not a Superhero

**NOT A SUPERHERO**

 **CIRCA 2008**

Tim drove down the road through the neighborhood. He was returning from a week-long business trip. In the past five years, he aged significantly. He was completely bald and had more wrinkles on his face. He drove up to his house and got out of the car and felt the hot summer sun on him as he retrieved his briefcase. Tim was dressed in a suit and tie. He walked towards the house and the door opened. Maddie, now aged 15, walked onto the porch. She was wearing a black cami top, black panties, and high heels. She also had a large amount of black eye makeup that ran down to her cheek and her blonde hair was in pigtails.

"Daddy!" She said.

Maddie ran towards him and hugged him.

"I missed you so much!" She said.

Maddie kissed him on the cheek.

"Maddie, I missed you too," Tim said.

"Let's go inside, I'm about to make dinner."

Maddie held him by the hand as they walked up the stairs. Tim stared at the back of her legs as they entered the house.

"Look, daddy, the house is clean," she said.

"Ah yes, I see. Good job."

"So how was everything?"

"Oh, boring. But at least I was still getting paid to go to the Silicon Valley."

Maddie was preparing to get dinner ready.

"So Maddie, have you been keeping up with your training?" He asked.

"Yes, daddy."

"Good, because I will test you tomorrow. By the way, how's the combat training going with Lee?"

"He's teaching me well. He says I am excelling and I'm already at the top of the class."

"Really? I'm impressed."

Tim loosened his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, and laid on the couch. During the past few years, Maddie had been going out at night a few times to fight crime as if she were a superhero. Tim assisted her by communicating with her.

Maddie was making burgers. She was using the same knife she killed Morty and Caleb years ago to cut the vegetables. Tim came behind her and closely stood behind her. Maddie was aware of his presence. Tim rubbed his hand on the small of her back as Maddie continued to cut vegetables. Tim then felt her butt and moved his hand back up to her back and then around to her stomach. He now had both hands feeling her sides. Maddie did not stop what she was doing. He then moved her hands up towards her breasts and grabbed them. Maddie flinched.

"Daddy, stop it!" She said, "You're gonna make me mess up."

"I can't help it," he said.

Maddie then put the burger patties on the skillet as he put his hands around her stomach. He began kissing her on the shoulders and then on the neck. Maddie giggled.

"You're tickling me!" She said, "I'm gonna burn myself if you don't stop."

"You are so lovely," he said.

Maddie and Tim were now at the dinner table.

"How is it?" Maddie asked.

"Wonderful. Are you ready for high school?"

"No."

Tim chuckled.

"You're almost there," he said, "Just four more years and it's off to college."

"I don't want to go. I just want to take down bad people."

"You know you have to. I really want you to start thinking about a career. You still want to work at Black Mesa, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. You can do both, you know. Lead a double life. A scientist by day and a superhero at night."

"I'm not a superhero. They have rules and protocols. They're too well-mannered."

"Not all of them."

"So, I guess you want to be my butler, huh? Get my costume for me, make me gadgets, all that junk."

"Name yourself after an animal and we'll see."

The next day, Maddie and Tim were in the bunker. Maddie was practicing the balancing. This time, she twirled the bo staff as Tim struck her with the kendo stick. Then, Tim kicked away one of the dumbbells, forcing Maddie to balance on one leg. She seemed unfazed as she continued to twirl the bo staff and maintain her balance while Tim continued to strike her. She switched legs and continued to maintain the balance.

Then, Maddie focused on her heavy bag training as Tim watched. Her strikes were now harder and fiercer. Maddie had also been practicing with the katanas; becoming nearly an expert in the craft. Her knife throwing skills also improved dramatically. She was able to throw knives so that they stuck side by side in a close manner. Tim was impressed.

They went out to the football field. Tim watched as Maddie ran at full speed. She ran down the field with blazing speed as if she were an Olympic track runner. Then, they went near a few small buildings down the road. Tim watched as Maddie leaped across them with ease. Maddie climbed down and returned to Tim.

"Very good," he said, "Nothing in this wicked world will stop you."

"I won't let it," she replied.

"You just need to improve your hand to hand combat. Mastering weaponry and the art of escaping will only get you so far. Sometimes you have to fight on your own."

Maddie was now in an underground dojo. It was run by a ninjutsu expert only known as Lee. He kept the dojo underground to make it more secretive like the ninja. There were many students in the class, mostly teens. There were only three teen girls and the rest were boys. One of the girls was tall and an expert in hand to hand combat. Maddie's combative skills were improving but not quite to the level she needed it to be.

Maddie was now fighting another student, known as Janice, on a large mat that was elevated above ground. She was taller than Maddie and an expert fighter. She had her long brown hair in a ponytail and was in excellent shape for her age. As Maddie tried to attack her, Janice blocked each shot and was able to strike her back or toss her to the ground. Lee, the sensei, watched and was impressed by Janice's abilities. Maddie showed frustration and knew in her mind that if this was a weapons fight, she would have already won. Maddie was finally able to land a few strikes on her. Janice grabbed her arm, but Maddie tripped her and tried to get her in an arm lock. Janice reversed it and locked Maddie in a rear chokehold.

"That's enough!" Lee shouted.

Janice let go of her. Maddie was upset that Janice got the better of her, but she was not angry at her. She knew Janice was not a bad person. The two shook hands and left the mat.

"Very good, both of you," Lee said, "Janice, you have the true spirit of the ninja."

Janice bowed to him and left.

"Madeline, you have heart," he continued, "Much work is needed for you to become a true ninja."

"Yes, sensei," Maddie said.

"Madeline, I have never seen a student improve as quickly as you. Never give up, and never let your spirit be broken. A true ninja can encounter and overcome any obstacle."

"My dad…my father has taught me well."

"Yes, your father is a good man. He believes in you and so do I. Now you must rest Madeline."

Maddie bowed to him.

One week later, Maddie was sitting on the couch waiting for Tim. She was dressed in a white t-shirt with a floral design, blue jeans, and brown dress boots. She was about to attend her first day of high school. Unlike her elementary days, she was not nervous. Her newfound abilities enabled her to overcome fear and doubt. Tim came downstairs.

"Alright, Maddie, ready for high school?" He asked with enthusiasm.

"No," she replied in a dry tone.

"Well…you still have to go anyway."

Maddie stood up and they walked out the door.

"The good news is that I now get to drive you there because Black Mesa is closer," he said.

"Yay."

They drove down the road.

"Four years of this?" Maddie asked.

"And don't forget four years of college."

Maddie looked out the window at the desert road. They reached Adams High School. The school looked as if it were a prison. It reminded Maddie of the time she visited Stonebridge Heights.

"Madeline," he said, "I love you."

Maddie had a smile on her face for the first time that day.

"I love you too," she replied.

Maddie got out of the car and walked into the school. Tim sat there, looking at all the young high school girls. Their youth, the way they dressed, and their beauty made Tim's heart race with passion. He drove away.

Inside Adams High School, the halls were crowded. Maddie walked down the hall, passing rowdy students. She walked by students who were athletic, scrawny, introverts, beautiful, and nerdy. Some of the girls were applying makeup and flipping their hair back. The athletic boys were harassing a kid with glasses. Maddie thought about going over there, but the athletic kids went away. Maddie went to her locker, no. 665. She took out her schedule, where she also wrote her combination down. She opened it and placed a pack of notebook paper inside. Then, a student approached her from behind. He was a muscular kid with a shaved head.

"Hey doll face," he said.

Maddie peered over her shoulder.

"What's your name baby?" He said.

Maddie closed her locker. He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. He stared at her body.

"I said, what's your name?" He reiterated.

Maddie stared back at him with an evil gaze. He backed away from her.

"Damn. Fucking psycho," he said, as he walked away.

Maddie once again looked around the halls. There was an American flag on one side and a picture of John Adams across from it. The students continued to be rowdy until the bell rang. Maddie stood still; wanting to be anywhere but there.

She walked into class and sat towards the back. Then, two girls and a tall boy walked in. One of the girls, Lana, had long blonde hair, wore tight clothing, and had too much eye makeup. The other girl Eva, had long black hair, and wore a revealing dress. The boy, Brock, was muscular, had short brown hair and wore a football jersey with torn blue jeans. They sat close to Maddie. She could smell one of the girl's perfume and it irritated her. Brock looked back at Maddie and sneered at her. Then he whispered something to the girls and they giggled. Maddie tried to hear what they were saying.

"Is she the one?" Brock whispered.

"She looks like it," Lana whispered back.

Maddie had a feeling that more trouble was about to head her way. She thought she heard Eva whisper something about her being a loser. Then, Brock turned to her.

"Hey, are you the one who hangs out with Gordon Freeman?" He asked with a smile on his face.

Maddie didn't answer.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Brock said.

"He is such a loser!" Eva said.

"Why'd you do it? I guess you got a thing for psycho killers," Brock told her.

Maddie remained silent.

"Hello," Lana said to her, snapping her fingers, "You're such a little creep!"

"I bet she tells Gordon," Brock said.

Maddie looked at him with an evil stare and then smiled.

"That's the look, he had," Brock said.

"O-M-G," Lana said, "She is crazy. Look, you two should marry each other or something."

"Eww!" Eva replied, "That would be gross."

"Say something you bit…"

Before Brock could finish, Maddie grabbed him by the hair and pulled him closer.

"Trust me," Maddie said, "You'll want to keep your head attached to your body. If not, I would enjoy the taste of your blood."

She let him go and the three of them were in shock. Brock got up and left. Maddie smiled at the two girls who also left. She sat back and felt she had delivered her message and would not hesitate to eliminate them.


	9. The Euphoric Feeling

**THE EUPHORIC FEELING**

The night had come and Maddie was on a rooftop staring at the full moon. She had her usual face paint on, and was now wearing black stretch pants, combat boots, and a black leather corset that had numerous knives inside of the numerous packets that were customized for her. She also had a leather hood that was attached to the corset. Maddie was in front of a large clock and saw that it was almost midnight. She communicated with Tim through the earpiece. Tim received police reports on his scanner.

"Maddie, I got something," Tim said through the earpiece, "An arsonist is running rampant. No description. Last seen heading towards Beckham's."

"Got it."

She ran as fast as she could and leapt across the building and landed with ease on another rooftop. She kept running and leaping across the buildings, hoping to hear police sirens. She walked to the edge of a building and realized she was very high up. The thought of bad people being out there made her feel uneasy because she could not locate them. Then, sirens were heard. She looked down and saw a fire truck racing through the streets. Maddie pursued it.

She ran and leapt across the rooftops, trying not to lose the fire engine. She was on a rooftop that was near an apartment complex. Maddie looked down and saw the firemen putting out a fire in a department store. A little boy saw her and she looked at him. He was in awe at her wardrobe and she signaled for him to hush. Then, she quickly descended the building. She landed in a dark alley, across from the fire. She watched the firemen and then heard a loud explosion. Instead of ascending the building, Maddie used parked cars, and a large truck to hide herself as she moved towards the sound. The streets were empty, except for the firemen. She slipped past them and saw a car on fire. In the distance, she spotted someone running. She approached the burning car and saw a gas canister nearby. Maddie ran down the dark empty streets in pursuit of the arsonist. As she got closer, the arsonist was wearing black clothing and a black mask. The arsonist kept running and went behind a large building and stopped. As the arsonist walked into what appeared to be an apartment complex, Maddie appeared from behind. The arsonist turned around and Maddie threw a punch, knocking the arsonist down.

"Time for you to suffer," Maddie said.

Maddie pinned the arsonist down and took off the mask. It was a woman with long brown hair. Maddie was surprised.

"I've heard about you," she said, "I know what your M.O. is."

"Then you should be overwhelmed with fear," Maddie replied.

Maddie took out a knife and twirled it around with a smile on her face.

"You're in uncharted territory freak," the woman said.

Then, a gang surrounded her in the distance. Maddie realized her mistake: she should have scoped out the area before confronting the woman. Maddie took out a large knife as the gang came closer. There were 10 of them and now her abilities were about to be put to the test. The arsonist got up and backed away as the gang surrounded her. Maddie could tell they had a thirst for violence. She looked around her and smiled. Some of them had chains, bats, and brass knuckles. Then, she laughed.

"If you were wise, you would back away," Maddie said, "If you don't, it will be my pleasure to take your life in the most sadistic way imaginable."

They came closer. Maddie held her arms out and smiled.

"So be it," she said.

A gang member with a bat swung at her, but she grabbed the bat, hit him in the face with it and kicked him down. Then, someone with a chain ran at her, but she quickly grabbed it and choked him with it. She let go when two gang members surrounded her. One of them tried to punch her, but she sliced him in the stomach and laughed. The other gang member tried to kick her, but she dodged it and delivered a kick to his face, knocking him down. One of them came behind her and wrapped a chain around her, tying her arms. Maddie was able to hit him with the back of her head and he let go. She quickly spun around and sliced his throat. Another gang member ran at her, but she threw her knife and struck him in the eye. He screamed as he went down.

"Who wants to be the first to lose their head?" Maddie asked. "It will be on display for all the world to see."

For the remaining gang members, she used her ninjutsu skills to fend them off. As they tried to punch and kick her, Maddie evaded each strike and delivered one on her own. Maddie took out her knives and went over to the gang member who was stabbed in the eye. She stomped on his head, killing him instantly. The other gang members that were still alive were crawling and bleeding on the ground. Maddie grabbed one of them and stabbed him to death. She stabbed the remaining ones, except for two of them and a feeling of euphoria ran through her. She grabbed one of them by the hair. She could see the trembling fear and she laughed. Then, Maddie sliced his neck multiple times while shrieking. She held his decapitated head and placed it in the center of the lot. She wiped blood off her knife and smeared a smile on the head. Maddie approached the last one and wrapped her legs around his neck, and suffocated him. She laid on the ground, moaning and smiling as the life in the gang member faded away. She was now overwhelmed with a feeling of euphoria. She laid on the ground unable to get up. She giggled and then felt her breasts. In all the commotion, she realized she had lost track of the arsonist, but she didn't care. She was enjoying herself too much.

Maddie made it back into the doomsday bunker and was laying on the couch, still in her gear and smiling. Tim walked up to her. He lifted Maddie up and sat on the couch, with Maddie's head laying on his legs. Tim ran his fingers through her hair and ran his hand along her face.

"I didn't get her," Maddie said.

"Who, the arsonist?"

"Yeah, but I don't care. The police will get her."

"It was a woman, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I see it's still running through your veins."

"That's the best part daddy. I killed a whole gang of people. I lost control of myself. That feeling. Oh…that feeling."

"I'm still proud of you."

Tim laid back and Maddie continued to stare at the ceiling. He then felt her stomach and then touched her breasts. Maddie didn't care at all.

The next day, Tim was walking around the café with his tray and saw the new, young, beautiful scientist sitting alone. She had brown hair, glasses, and brown eyes. Tim sat across from her.

"Hello, Tim Brennan," he said. "I work in HEV repair."

"Hi, I'm Rachel Shepard," she replied, "Anomalous materials."

"How do you like it here?"

"It's great, Laura, Walter, they are all great to work with."

Tim hated the idea that she worked with Walter.

"I hear you do good work," Rachel said. "I've worn some of the suits and they really hold up."

"Oh, thank you. So any interesting experiments going on?"

"Well, Walter is working on some kind of device that supposed to improve fuel economy. I'm just there to analyze the thing."

"Walter has something going on? Look, Rachel, don't get too caught up into what he does. Did you know he ended up at Stonebridge Heights?"

"Oh, no I didn't."

Then, Rachel's cell phone rang. She looked at it and saw that it was from Adrian. She pressed ignore.

"Nothing important. So how long have you worked here?"

"I've been here 10 years. Also been in this industry for 10 years."

"Wow!"

Rachel's phone rang again.

"Tim are you married?" She asked.

"Divorced."

Rachel chuckled.

"Then you're the lucky one," she said, "Look, I got to get back. It was nice meeting you."

"Same here."

Tim watched as Rachel left. He finished his lunch and decided to follow her. Rachel went into her office and did not realize she left the door open a little. She sat down and began talking on the phone. Tim stood outside her office.

"…Because I don't want to talk to you," she said over the phone, "…You always break promises…then why are you never home…that's the problem, you keep making empty promises.

As Tim listen, he knew it was her husband. Tim found her to be gorgeous and intelligent and thought he could coax her out of the seemingly broken marriage.

"Adrian you never listen to me," she said, "It's always about you and what you want. Look, I really don't want to talk now okay…really…then don't break this promise…okay…I love you too."

Tim walked towards his office which was not too far away. He felt that Rachel got suckered into her husband's trap and he would just break another promise. He walked past Walter's office and saw him working on a device. All Tim could make out was that it was black. He went back to his office.

When Tim made it out to the parking lot, he saw Rachel and a tall, muscular man with a short blonde military cut, wearing camo pants and an olive drab shirt. He was close to them. He got in his car and listened. The man had his hands on her face.

"I'm sorry, honey," he said, "Let me make it up to you."

"How?"

"Dinner, anywhere you want."

"You really hurt me, you know. I don't need you to do it again."

"Baby, I'm here. I'm not gonna go anywhere."

He brushed her hair with his fingers and then took off her glasses.

"I want to see that beautiful face," he said.

Rachel cracked a smile.

"Oh, Adrian, I can't stay mad at you," Rachel said.

Tim was disgusted. Rachel felt his arms and then his chest.

"I wanna go home now," she said with a smile.

"Then let's go."

Rachel put her hands on his face.

"No more broken promises," she firmly stated.

"No more," Adrian replied.

Tim watched as they got in their car and left. To him, it was another woman that got away. This one, however, hurt him badly. She was easily manipulated by him.

Maddie and Tim sat at the dinner table. She noticed him moping.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Maddie asked, "You haven't said much."

"Nothing. Madeline, don't ever let someone control you. Don't ever let a man or a woman dictate your life."

"You know I won't."

Det. Rusty Briggs walked into an interrogation room. The arsonist was sitting down and he sat across from her.

"I didn't kill them," she said, "I swear it."

"Then tell me, who did?" He asked.

"Some woman in a hood wearing clown makeup."

"Clown makeup? That's a new one."

"We have evidence that you set the fires, blew up a car, but you deny killing 10 people."

"I admit I set the fires, but I did not commit murder."

"Right, because it was the clown woman."

"I swear to you it was her, I saw her do it. It was sickening, she said she enjoyed killing them."

Rusty took out photos of the murder and the woman turned away.

"I can't look," she said.

"Stabbings, cuts, decapitation, a history of criminal activity, you near the crime scene, and your best defense is you didn't do it. How is that going to look in court? To a judge? A jury? I can only help you. Any judge that hears this case would love to give you the death penalty."

"That woman was crazy, she used blood to make a smile on that head."

Then, Rusty a remembered that many years ago, someone else used that same modus operandi.

"I think we're done here," he said.

"Wait, what happens to me?"

"Well, we will let some else decide your fate."

He left the interrogation room. The Captain was outside.

"She did it, right?" The Captain asked.

"I don't think she murdered them," Rusty replied. "She may be right about someone else committing the murders."

"Then, get me evidence."

Rusty was now at his desk and he dug up the case files from years earlier. The dead bodies also had bloody smiles and were all stabbed. He took out a picture of Maddie when she was younger. It appeared to be a spy picture of her at school. Then, he took out another picture, a more recent one. This picture was taken when she was in her driveway. Rusty knew it was her that committed the murders but he had no evidence.


	10. Instilling Fear

**INSTILLING FEAR**

A few months had passed. Tim was sitting in the doomsday bunker looking at a few papers. He had gone to the doctor and found that he had a terminal illness. He looked at the papers which told him of the illness he had. The doctor said he only had a few months left. Tim had other ideas. He did not want Maddie to see him in a weakened condition and laying on his deathbed while Maddie worried, so he decided not to tell her right away. He had other ideas. He had people he hated, people he wanted dead. Walter to be precise. Tim was planning to kill him. He sat there in front of a video camera that was set up and thought about what he was going to say to Maddie. Then, he turned on the camera, took a deep breath, and looked into the camera.

Maddie was at school walking down the busy hall full of students. The kid that harassed her a few months ago followed her. He walked behind her and grabbed her hair.

"Hey sexy," he said, "You got a nice ass. You work out or somethin'?"

Maddie grabbed his arm and pulled it off her hair.

"Fuck off," she said.

The kid laughed.

"Oooh, I like a girl like that," he said.

"I'm not messing around anymore."

He grabbed her by the chin.

"I'm gonna have my way with you," he said, "Understand me you bitch? No girl turns me down."

Maddie pulled his arm off and smiled at him. He grabbed her breasts and she kneed him in the groin. He bent over in pain and then Maddie punched him in the face, knocking him into the lockers. She stood over him as the students around watched. She placed her boot on his neck and began choking him while laughing. Then, two teachers, one an older man, and another, a middle aged man named Mr. Henderson intervened. Mr. Henderson was Maddie's science teacher.

"Madeline stop!" Mr. Henderson said as he pulled her away, "What's wrong?"

"He shouldn't have messed with me. I had to teach him a lesson."

Mr. Henderson was disturbed by the look on her face.

"Madeline it's all right," he said.

The other teacher helped the kid up but he pulled his arm from him and walked away.

"Nice shot," Mr. Henderson said, "I can't stand that kid."

Maddie smiled. This was the reason he was the only teacher she liked.

At Black Mesa, Tim walked past Walter's lab and saw another scientist inside. He was short with glasses and had brown hair. Tim walked in.

"So, has Walter been showing you more ridiculous experiments," Tim said.

The scientist turned around, his nametag read Spencer Ackerman.

"You again?" Spencer said, "Leave us alone okay."

Then Walter walked in. He was no longer carrying a folder and seemed more self-confident than in years past.

"Tim, what the hell are you doing here?" Walter asked.

"I just had to see what you came up with in the looney bin."

"That's none of your concern."

"Just how many people do you plan on dragging in to this? You know what, don't answer that, I'm leaving."

"Good!"

Tim walked back to his office with a smile on his face. To him, berating Walter never got old. He wanted Walter to go back to Stonebridge Heights. His immense hatred for him grew more and more intense and couldn't wait until the day he would kill him. He had plenty of HEV suits that were fully functional. As he performed a maintenance check on one of the suits, his phone rang.

"Tim Brennan's lab," he said.

Tim arrived at Adams High School to pick up Maddie. She had been suspended for a week. He saw her sitting in the office.

"Maddie, what happened?" He asked.

"This boy was bothering me, he touched me, so I beat his ass."

"We will talk about this later, let's go home."

After they arrived home, Maddie sat on the couch and Tim sat on the recliner.

"Are you all right?" Tim asked.

"I'm fine."

"You did right. No one has the right to touch you. I'm glad you beat him up."

"It felt good."

"I guess you're here for a week. Stay in the bunker and don't, and I mean don't, go outside."

Maddie chuckled.

"Yes daddy."

Tim went into the kitchen and Maddie walked upstairs. She went into her room to change her clothing. With nighttime a long way away, she decided to sharpen her knives to prepare for her next mission.

Later that night, Maddie stood on the edge of a rooftop, looking down at the city below. She waited for Tim to give her a location of a crime.

"Okay, Maddie," Tim said in her earpiece, "There's a prisoner that broke out and is heading down McCullough Avenue."

Maddie leaped off the building and grabbed the edge of the next one. She ran across the large rooftop.

"The prisoner is identified as Bashir Hamad," Tim continued, "The mass shooter who killed 11 people. This terrorist needs to die. Get this Muslim fuck."

To Maddie, the religion or background did not matter to her. If they were bad, they needed to die. Maddie leaped across the buildings with the urge to kill on her mind. She reached McCullough Avenue and looked down from the building at the slums. She saw Bashir and made it down to the street. He walked through the empty slums carrying a crowbar. The streetlights were dim and most of the buildings were abandoned. Then, a cat meowed and ran away. It startled him. Then, Maddie walked out from the darkness in front of him. He was frightened.

"Meow," she cried.

He got ready to attack with the crowbar.

"And what are going to do with that?" Maddie asked.

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Maddie giggled.

"No, you see, I'm gonna make you fear me, I'm gonna make you beg for your life. Then, I'm gonna slice your flesh and drink your blood."

He began shivering as Maddie walked towards him, instilling fear into him. He swung the crowbar even though she was nowhere near him. Maddie held a large knife in her hand. When Maddie got close, he swung the crowbar. Maddie did a backflip and kicked him in the face. She struck him with more kicks to the stomach and face in rapid succession. He fell to the ground and tried to grab his crowbar but Maddie stepped on it. He tried to take it but was unable to. She kneeled down beside him and grabbed his hair. Using the knife, she cut his cheek and then cut his forehead. He screamed in pain. Maddie was mesmerized by the blood running down his face. Then, she stabbed him in the arm. He screamed loudly and Maddie embraced it.

"Please, no," Bashir said. "I'll go back, just please, don't kill me."

"The people you killed, they begged and you killed them anyway. I have no sympathy for you."

As Bashir shivered in fear, Maddie stood up. She licked the bloody knife which instilled more fear into him. She walked around him, staring at him with an evil gaze.

"Where was your sympathy?" She asked. "Now here you are, a coward who is going to die!"

Maddie stomped on his head repeatedly while laughing. Blood spurted outward in Maddie's face with each stomp. She stood over his dead body as pure joy pulsed through her veins.

When Maddie arrived home, she still had blood covering her face. Tim placed his hands on her face and the blood smeared on his hands. She stared right into his eyes as Tim brushed her hair back, smearing the blood in her blonde hair. Afterwards, she stood in the shower; cold water running through her hair and down her face. The paint that was mixed with blood washed away as she stared straight ahead.

For the past two days, Maddie made best of her time at home during her suspension. She continued her training in the bunker and read the books Tim got for her. One day while she was in the bunker, she saw someone on the security camera in the backyard. She grabbed a knife and went into the house. Then, the doorbell rang. She looked outside and saw Gordon Freeman on the porch. She opened the door and there he was, in the flesh. Maddie smiled and let him in.

"Hello Maddie," Gordon said.

Maddie hugged him.

"I'm so glad to see you!" She said. "You finally came over."

"I really wanted to see you."

Maddie playfully hit him in the chest.

"You should have come over long ago," she said. "I thought you were dead."

"That dumb bitch almost killed me," Gordon said, "But I got away."

"Are you going back to Black Mesa?"

"No, not anymore. I have to stay away from there."

Maddie held his hand and pulled him closer.

"I still love you," she said.

Gordon smiled and Maddie smiled back.

"I love you too," Gordon said.

Maddie shrieked with excitement and tried to kiss him. Gordon held her hair back.

"You know you can't resist me," she said, "Besides, I'm older now."

Gordon leaned in and the two shared a kiss on the lips. Maddie wrapped her arms around him as they continued kissing. Later, the two were in Maddie's bed. Gordon was shirtless and so was she. Maddie was breathing heavily and staring at the ceiling.

"That felt so good," Gordon said.

Maddie turned towards him.

"I've been waiting so long for that," she said. "You make my body tremble with pleasure."

"And you…you make my deepest desires, my fantasies come true.

They both laughed. Maddie put her arm on Gordon's chest.

"He's gonna be pissed," Gordon said.

"I won't tell him."

Maddie kissed him on the cheek and they once again locked lips.


	11. Murderous Psycho with a Lust for Revenge

**A MURDEROUS PSYCHO WITH A LUST FOR REVENGE**

After Tim arrived home, Maddie was in the kitchen making a steak and potatoes dinner. Tim sat at the dinner table. Maddie was dressed in her corset and panties and wondered why Tim was not hovering around her like he had been recently. Maddie brought over two plates and gave one to Tim. She sat down and began eating. Tim contemplated the idea of telling what was wrong with him.

"You know, Maddie, soon steak will be the most sought after food," Tim said. "When the apocalypse comes, people will fight for food like this. It will be stale, but people will kill each other just to get one bite."

"I made it because you said it was healthy, you know, protein and carbs."

"It is."

"We should enjoy the food we have now."

"Yes, but we must face the inevitable."

Maddie looked at Tim and noticed a sorrow look on his face.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing, uh, did I tell you what happened last week?" Tim asked.

"No."

"Walter..."

"Oh that asshole."

"Maddie, you're not supposed to say words like that."

"Sorry daddy."

"Anyway, since he came back he thinks he can do what he wants, well now it went too far. His idiotic experiment nearly caused the death of one of the new scientists. Thankfully, she'll be okay."

"You're the best scientist in the whole world."

"Thanks sweetie. I'm really beginning to hate Walter."

Later that night, Tim laid awake in bed. Flashes in his head about killing Walter came and went. He needed to do it and tomorrow could be the day. The terminal disease inside of him was only getting worse and soon he would have no choice.

The next morning, Tim was getting ready to head out to Black Mesa. Maddie was up and cleaning the dishes after making breakfast. Before Tim headed out, he went into the kitchen and hugged Maddie.

"You know I love you sweetie," he said.

"I love you too.

"Please, remember to live your life to the fullest. I want you to be happy. Eliminate the bad people."

He rubbed the back of his hand across her face.

"I know," she said.

"Okay."

Tim left the house, leaving Maddie confused. As Tim drove down the deserted road, he saw Black Mesa in the distance and realized what he needed to do. Walter Bennett was going to die.

Tim was in his lab and made some adjustments on an HEV suit. He glanced out of the window and saw a security guard named Rick and a young teen girl walking by. She was beautiful, had long blonde hair with pink highlights, heavy mascara around the eyes, and a piercing on her lip and nose. She was dressed in a white shirt with really short sleeves, and black baggy pants with chains on the side. She was around the same age as Maddie. Tim walked out into the hall.

"Now Dawn, you should think twice about misbehaving," Rick said.

"Dad, this is so stupid," Dawn said, "I don't want to hang out with these losers."

"Look, Walter is not here yet. We'll visit Pete; he does some experiments with sound. He plays guitar. That should calm you down."

"You're just ignoring me?"

"Dawn, you don't dictate what you can and can't do."

"I really hate being here."

"Well too bad."

"Whatever."

Tim was disgusted by Dawn's behavior. He realized his relationship with Maddie was much better and people had the nerve to call her crazy. He still thought Dawn was very beautiful and couldn't stop staring at her. He watched her until she rounded the corner.

A few minutes later, he saw Dawn walk by his lab. She looked at him with an angry look and then turned away. He ran towards the door and followed them down the hall. Dawn and Rick waked into Laura's office. He snuck near the door and found that they were heading outside.

Later in the day, Tim was running down the hall with a pair of binoculars. Then, he saw a gruesome sight. There were dead bodies everywhere. Someone had stabbed and decapitated numerous scientists. Tim's initial thought was that Gordon was back. Then, he heard a scream. He ran towards the sound and saw a muscular blonde hair man stabbing a scientist with a sword. It was Adrian Shepard, the husband of Rachel Shepard. Tim ran away towards his office, passing more dead bodies that were missing limbs and were decapitated. He was revolted by the corpses and continued to run down the hall. He saw an open door and went inside. Dawn was lying on the ground. Her shirt was lifted up and her bra was off, exposing her breasts. He snapped a picture of them with his camera and then touched her breasts. She began to wake up.

"Hello," he said.

"Who are you?" Dawn asked.

"I'm Tim."

Dawn realized her breasts were showing. She snapped her bra back and put her shirt back on.

"There was someone with a knife and swords," Dawn said, "He's killing people. My dad might still be outside."

He moved closer to her.

"Shhh, calm down, you'll be safe with me," he said with a grin.

Dawn got off the table and backed away.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Tim said.

"I'll manage."

Dawn attempted to leave but Tim grabbed her arm.

"My daughter needs a friend," he said, "Come home with me. Play with my daughter."

Dawn moved her arm away.

"Please! I haven't been with a woman in so long. My wife left me."

Dawn kneed him in the groin and he falls to his knees. She kicks him in the face and he falls over. She takes a computer monitor and smashes it over his head, knocking him out. She runs out of the room.

Tim struggled to get up. He realized he was bleeding and walked into a closet, leaving a trail of blood. Inside, he found a med kit and put a bandage on his forehead. He heard someone coming and looked out the door. It was Adrian and he had a pipe wrench. He closed the door and listen to what sounded like computers smashing. Here he was again: another madman in Black Mesa who was a murderous psycho with a lust for revenge. Then, Adrian tried to open the door but it was locked. A loud smash was heard and the door swung open. Tim saw Adrian with a mean look on his face and his heart pounded like a sledgehammer. His expression and the weapons he had reminded him of Maddie.

"No, please don't kill me," Tim said.

"Then you better tell me where Walter Bennett is," Adrian said.

Tim felt a little relieved and wasn't surprised that someone wanted to murder Walter.

"Walter? I'll be glad to tell you," Tim said.

"Oh really."

"He's outside in the woods, studying some stupid flowers. He's with that looney bitch and his asshole friends."

Adrian laughed.

"Thanks for telling me, I'll be heading there."

"Are you going to kill him? Please do."

"I'm going to torture him to death. He caused an accident to Rachel, my wife."

"You must be Adrian Shepard. Walter has always been doing idiotic projects. I've always hated that man."

"Thanks for the info, I'm going."

Adrian left the room. Tim's plan to kill Walter may have changed, but he decided to head back to his lab just in case something went wrong. He suddenly felt a weak presence and realized his health was deteriorating. He needed the table to keep him from falling. His head began spinning and he felt faint. All he could think about was Maddie. He saw the HEV suit and needed to put it on to regain strength. He stumbled over to the rack and put on the suit. He regained his strength and no longer felt faint. His modifications succeeded. Tim knew once he took it off, he would need to go to a hospital and would not let that happen. He took out his cell phone and hovered his finger over Maddie's name. He pressed it.

Maddie was resting after a training session when she heard her cell phone ring. She saw that Tim was calling and answered it.

"Hey daddy," she said.

"Madeline…how is everything?"

"Everything is fine."

"Um...good. Listen, I have something I need to tell you."

"What's wrong?"

"When I went to the doctor, they found something."

"What…"

"I'm dying."

"Daddy, please…what's…?"

"I'm not going to make it much longer. I'm wearing an HEV suit and once I get out, I will end up in hospice care. I will not let you see me like this."

Tears ran down Maddie's quivering face.

"No, no, no," she said, crying.

"I'm sorry."

Maddie sobbed.

"Remember Walter?" He continued, "I have to make sure he dies."

"Daddy, no, I want to see you again, please don't do this."

"I have to."

A mix of anger and sadness ran through her.

"Please don't do it," she said.

"Maddie, I'm not going to let this disease win. I'm not going out like this."

Maddie could not find the words due to her uncontrollable sobbing. For the first time in a long time, she shivered and fell to her knees.

"It's my decision," he said, "I have no other choice."

"But I want to see you."

"Maddie listen to me, there's a tape I made just for you. I want you to watch it alone."

"Daddy...no."

"It's over Maddie. I'm going to find Walter and his friends. There's a girl that's with them. She looks like she's your age. I want you to find her after this is over. She is disrespectful, rude, and her relationship with her father is nothing like ours. Her name is Dawn Crenshaw and she needs to be taught some manners. Promise me you will."

Maddie realized there was no choice and no stopping him.

"Okay, I promise," Maddie said.

"Goodbye Maddie."

"Goodbye daddy."

"And remember, I love you with all my heart."

Maddie's tears had caused her mascara to run down her face.

"Daddy, I love you too," she said, sobbing.

Tim hung up. Maddie continued to cry. Then, she looked through her contacts and saw the number for Black Mesa.

At Black Mesa, Barney Calhoun ran across a hallway with a large window that stretched across. He had a rifle with him and saw the commotion down below. Tim was in an HEV suit. Rick tried to stop him but was knocked away. Dawn was shoved near an SUV and grabbed a gun. Barney aimed the rifle at Tim at the same time Dawn pointed her gun at him. Barney fired a shot.

A few days later, Maddie was at Tim's funeral. She felt more anger than sadness even though he was the only person that truly loved her. Only her and Tim's mother, Ellie, an elderly woman in her late 70s, were in attendance. The pastor read the eulogy, but Maddie paid no attention as Ellie cried. After the casket was lowered, Maddie walked away and looked into the distance at the other gravestones. She turned back and saw Ellie still crying. Maddie would have to live with her now.

Det. Rusty Briggs was watching Maddie from the sidewalk. He thought about questioning her, but felt it would give the department bad publicity amid the violent protests against the police. Deep inside, he felt bad for her. He had lost his daughter to a drug overdose a few. Looking at Maddie, the resemblance was uncanny. He knew how she felt and it brought back a painful memory. Then, Maddie put her face into her hands and cried. Rusty thought about comforting her, but instead, he got in his car and drove away. Maddie sobbed and then suddenly stopped. She slowly pulled her hands off her face and smiled. She turned around to where Rusty's car was and saw that he had left.

The next day, after Maddie had moved her belongings into Ellie' house, she went to the bunker. This would still be her place. Maddie found the tape Tim had made but had been unable to play it. She finally hooked the camera up to the TV and pressed play. Tim was there looking down. He took a deep breath and looked into the camera.

"Madeline…"


End file.
